Franchising
Jennifer Schuler named CEO of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream
March 19, 2024
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, which has nearly 130 locations operated by 65 franchisees, has named Jennifer Schuler as CEO.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Jennifer to Handel's," Andrew Brennan, board member for Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, said in a press release. "We found her highly relevant and proven capabilities and experience, combined with her strong focus on franchisee success, was a terrific fit for Handel's. She is a highly talented and people-oriented franchise leader who brings great passion and authenticity to her work, and she had fallen in love with Handel's Ice Cream before we had even met her."
Prior to Handel's, Schuler was most recently at Wetzel's Pretzels, where she spent nine years growing the brand. She began her career there as CMO before serving as president and CEO, where she helped grow the store count from 200 to 350 units. Average unit volume grew by 24%, just under $1 million, according to the release. Schuler and her husband also became franchisees in the system, purchasing a franchise in Minneapolis.
"As I immerse myself in the brand, I'm truly inspired by its nearly 80-year legacy of consistently delighting guests, while demonstrating phenomenal economics," Schuler said in the release. "Handel's has achieved strong sales performance consistently across 13 states through our franchisees, with the brand performing extraordinarily well in new markets as it grows. It's an exciting time to be part of this organization as it's poised for dynamic growth. Rarely do you encounter a brand with such a rich legacy, seamlessly intertwined with an unprecedented opportunity for new franchisees to expand!"
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream was founded in 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio.
